Jack Antonoff’s second Bleachers album makes me almost completely forget about Fun. “Gone Now” is a crazy mish-mash of genre influences and crazy 80’s style synths. It will resonate with fans of the first Bleachers alum even if the songs aren’t quite as catchy here as they were on “Strange Desire.”

What’s interesting with “Gone Now” is your attention isn’t grabbed at the front of the record, it’s kind of eased in with two tracks that are more about emotional and lyrical depth than just a hook that will catch people’s ears. “Dream of Mickey Mantle” and “Goodmorning” aren’t bad songs, but they’re not exactly pop songs. They’re heavy on atmosphere and they’re focus seems to be setting the tone for the rest of the record. They’re hugely important songs even if they aren’t amazing. They lineup everything for the album perfectly and make what Antonoff is writing and singing about here ten times better. The rest of the album just kind of takes it from there; “Hate That You Know Me” and “Don’t Take The Money” are both great songs and they’ll be favorites of people years from now. “Let’s Get Married” and “Everybody Lost Somebody” are just as good. Just as “Dream of Mickey Mantle” and “Goodmorning” are important for the front of the album, “I’m Ready to Move On” and “Foreign Girls” are perfect sendoffs to this record.

I loved Fun., but not nearly as much as I love Bleachers. Jack Antonoff’s musical style really resonates with this project on a musical and emotional level. “Gone Now” isn’t a better album that “Strange Desire” but it’s not worse either – it’s completely different. They’re two albums that are clearly done by the same artist but clearly done in different head spaces. That’s a hell of an accomplishment.

Jack Antonoff’s second Bleachers album makes me almost completely forget about Fun. “Gone Now” is a crazy mish-mash of genre influences and crazy 80’s style synths. It will resonate with fans of the first Bleachers alum even if the songs aren’t quite as catchy here as they were on “Strange Desire.”

What’s interesting with “Gone Now” is your attention isn’t grabbed at the front of the record, it’s kind of eased in with two tracks that are more about emotional and lyrical depth than just a hook that will catch people’s ears. “Dream of Mickey Mantle” and “Goodmorning” aren’t bad songs, but they’re not exactly pop songs. They’re heavy on atmosphere and they’re focus seems to be setting the tone for the rest of the record. They’re hugely important songs even if they aren’t amazing. They lineup everything for the album perfectly and make what Antonoff is writing and singing about here ten times better. The rest of the album just kind of takes it from there; “Hate That You Know Me” and “Don’t Take The Money” are both great songs and they’ll be favorites of people years from now. “Let’s Get Married” and “Everybody Lost Somebody” are just as good. Just as “Dream of Mickey Mantle” and “Goodmorning” are important for the front of the album, “I’m Ready to Move On” and “Foreign Girls” are perfect sendoffs to this record.

I loved Fun., but not nearly as much as I love Bleachers. Jack Antonoff’s musical style really resonates with this project on a musical and emotional level. “Gone Now” isn’t a better album that “Strange Desire” but it’s not worse either – it’s completely different. They’re two albums that are clearly done by the same artist but clearly done in different head spaces. That’s a hell of an accomplishment.